She can't get Marcus, Br1n is on the fritz, she can't get Orion; and she is full sprint, artefact in tow, towards the north of the city. Those not asleep are outside their buildings, pointed up at the burning upper half of one of the Crystal Spires, even as ash floats from the pyre, threatening to catch neighbouring buildings.
She can see tendrils of magic beginning to form along the sides of the buildings surrounding in attempts to halt the spread of the fire, and she swears she can see the afterglow of visions of burning as the headache returns to lance across the side of her face.
She leans against a wall, feeling the reassuring living pulse of the plant-substance, taking stock as the pain passes, and, spotting a terminal, moves over to try and use Br1n again. Blue script comes up instead of Br1n's face repeating the line "Br1n-d-d-d- unable to process so may of your calls/prayers. Please stand by."
She screams internally, then winces as she feels Yarrow finally awaken groggily, she blushes as she feels that they are with someone, but then there is that familiar worry/panic as Yarrow must see the glow of the burning through their own window.
Finally she is by the arboretum, only one more district until she is on the scene. Her sandals have rubbed her feet raw after so much running and her body aches from forcing it to keep going for so long. But Marcus had a meeting at VRPI tonight and despite her dislike of him sometimes, Orion was planning to become her mentor. So much of her potential future wrapped up in one horrendous fire.
She sees pyromages on the scene, pulling as much of the chaotic energies from the system, as circuits that lace their sweat covered limbs pulse with an angry, red energy. One of them goes down on a knee, and she hears smatterings of conversations that the mages are having a hard time with all the weird research that is casting its own energy into the system of the fire of the tower.
Her eyes scan the crowd and she sees someone in a uniform-ish looking outfit in the VRPI colours of purple and grey. She moves to them quickly.
"Have you seen Mr Valtor or the human?" She doesn't waste breath, going straight for what she needs answered.
"Both are with the healers at the academy, Mr Valtor has significant burns and needs recovery, and the human is being investigated in connection to the fire and the altercation just inside the lobby." When Thalia's face rolls between concern and confusion they follow up with, "Br1n and the council's representatives will find the truth I'm sure."
With relief flooding her system, she puts on her most concern ridden face and just looks up, washed in the consequences of someone's actions. Hopefully not hers.
